Introduction
In order for you to grow in your relationship with Christ, there must be an assurance of salvation, an assurance that you are His child.
God promises to make you His child when by faith you receive Him into your life. He would never mislead you. God is trustworthy and His Word is trustworthy. You can know that you are His and that you have eternal life.
Becoming a Christian involves receiving Christ, the gift of God's love and forgiveness, by faith. It results in a threefold commitment to a Person. It is a commitment to Him of one's intellect, emotions and will. Our relationship with Christ can be illustrated by the requirements for a marriage relationship, which ideally must contain these same three ingredients: the intellect, the emotions and the will.
Self-Directed Life
- S -- Self is on the throne
- + -- Christ is outside the life
- Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration
Christ-Directed Life
- + -- Christ is in the life and on the throne
- S -- Self is yielding to Christ
- Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan
For example, a man may be convinced intellectually that the woman who is his intended bride is the "right" one for him. He may be involved emotionally and love her with all his heart, but marriage requires more than the intellect and the emotions. It also involves the will. Not until the man and the woman, as an act of the will, commit themselves to each other before a minister, do they become husband and wife. The two words "I do" make the difference. So it is in our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not enough to believe intellectually in Christ, nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. Though both are valid, one does not become a Christian until, as an act of the will, he receives Christ into his life as Savior and Lord.